


A Life Less Ordinary

by Sarina_Hawke_Theirin



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: Angst, Explicit Sexual Content, Multi, Polyamory, Threesome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-30
Updated: 2014-05-30
Packaged: 2018-01-27 14:30:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1714004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sarina_Hawke_Theirin/pseuds/Sarina_Hawke_Theirin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After settling down in the village of Haven and trying to lead a semi-normal life with Anders and Fenris, Hawke begins to question both herself and the love of the two men in her life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Life Less Ordinary

**Author's Note:**

> Bioware owns all

Gabrielle sat on the front porch of her modest frame home in the small village of Haven. She rocked quietly back and forth in the chair that Fenris had made for her while watching her twins play in the yard with their cousin. It was hard to believe it had been nearly seven years since their birth and she found herself amazed with the fact that they were growing up so fast. Even though she knew she would have to admonish the girl later, she couldn't help but smile when she noticed Destiny lift Cullen from his feet a few inches with a small air spell after he pushed her to the ground during a foot race. Both children had come into their powers early, just as she and her sister had, and they reminded her a lot of herself and Bethany at around that age.

"You look like you could use a cup of tea" she heard a sing-song voice chime from her left. Her cousin Angelina handed her a steaming cup with a smile. "You're awfully quiet this morning, Gabs. Is something wrong?"

Gabrielle shrugged. "Not really. I was just thinking about how quickly children grow."

The other woman chuckled as she sat down in the chair on the other side of the door. "I know what you mean. My Duncan is nearly thirteen now. Time just moves too fast."

"Yes" Gabrielle whispered sadly as she took a small sip of her tea. "It does."

Angelina sat her own cup down on the small wooden table next to her and leaned forward, a look of concern on her face. "Okay, something is wrong. Is this about your birthday next week?"

The former Champion's eyes strayed away from the children and she began staring blankly into the tree line. "I'm going to be thirty-five years old, Angie. This morning, as I was brushing my hair, I took a good look at myself in the mirror and noticed how many lines are embedded in my face now. I'm still carrying twenty pounds of my pregnancy weight and I've even gained another twenty since. I'm all soft and… and squishy now."

Her cousin smiled sympathetically. "We're all getting older, Gabs. It's nothing to be ashamed of." She patted her own stomach. "I'm not exactly the size I was when I fought the archdemon, you know. Domestic life does that to you."

Before Gabrielle could say another word, the front door opened and Angelina's lover stepped out into the morning air with a wide grin and a cup of his own. "What an absolutely beautiful morning" he declared. He bent over and planted a soft kiss on Angelina's cheek. "But it could never compare to your beauty, my dear."

The former Warden returned his kiss with one of her own. "Good morning to you too, my king. You're rather chipper for this early in the day."

He smoothed her hair back. "What's there to be unhappy about? The sun is shining, the air is clean and crisp and, best of all, I got to wake up next to the most beautiful woman in the world."

Angelina giggled and Gabrielle thought she might vomit at their display of affection. Watching the two of them did nothing to help her already foul mood. She turned her attention back to the children and swallowed back a large lump that had formed in her throat. If she were to be honest with herself, she wasn't angry at all, just jealous. It had been a long time since anyone had paid that type of attention to her and she missed it.

After Gabrielle made the decision to settle down in Haven, Angelina and Alistair began sending other apostates and families with gifted children to the small village to hide from the Circle. Since that time, the once abandoned small hamlet had boomed to a population that rivaled Redcliffe. It was still a well-kept secret and those who wanted to escape to there had to jump through all sorts of hurdles in order to do so, but it was still thriving.

Anders and several of the older mages decided to set up a school in the old ruins of the temple nearby where children with magic could learn to control their gift and use it properly. Anders also ran a clinic in the heart of the village with a few of the other healers to treat the sick and wounded. Fenris discovered that he had a talent for woodworking after making cradles for the twins and he enjoyed the work immensely so he set up a shop in the square to sell his furniture. Most of his business was done on the barter system, as was common in the village, but he also received a fair amount of coin for his wares. He also set up a town militia and trained those without magical ability on how to fight effectively in case the village was ever attacked.

Both men were constantly busy with one job or the other. In fact, the only time they took away from their work was when they spent time with the twins. Each of them set aside at least an hour every day, devoted exclusively to the children. Gabrielle, on the other hand, was lucky if she received a quick peck on the cheek from either man before they headed out in the morning, and that was only if they decided to come home for the night at all. For months, Gabrielle spent every night alone in bed wishing for someone to hold her, but it never happened.

Gabrielle tried immersing herself in sewing and learning to cook new dishes. She even tried her hand at teaching the last semester, but no matter what she did, she found that she was still lonely. She kept telling herself that it was just the way things were after you had children and became busy with other things. Now, watching Angelina and Alistair, she could see that the excuses she had been trying to make for her lovers' behavior were completely and totally bogus. Alistair was a king and she knew that Angelina practically ran the day to day business of the castle by herself, yet they still seemed to be as in love as they were the first time she had seen them together.

She sighed heavily and closed her eyes in an effort to hold back the bitter tears that were threatening to fall. She remembered a time when Fenris and Anders fought each other to gain her attention, now neither one seemed to care if she was there or not. She knew she was no longer attractive, with her expanding waistline and crows feet, but she always thought that love went beyond physical appearance.

Alistair's voice cut off Gabrielle's miserable introspection. "Am I interrupting something?"

She shook her head. "No, Alistair, you're fine."

"So where are the husbands this morning?" he asked nonchalantly.

Gabrielle shrugged. "Working I suppose. I didn't see either of them this morning before they left."

The king scratched at his abdomen for a moment. "Well, I think I'll go into the village and find them so you hens can cackle some more."

Angelina shot a stern look toward him. "Oh, like you men won't be complaining about us the entire time?"

"And what in Thedas do _I_ have to complain about? You are perfection, my dear."

The former Warden scowled. "Nice save, but you're not as cute as you think you are."

He flashed a crooked grin. "No, I'm damned adorable, and you know it."

Angelina laid a hard smack to his behind. "Get out of here, you big lug."

After Alistair bounded down the steps and rounded the corner to the path at the side of the house, Angelina turned her attention back to her cousin. "Now, tell me what's wrong."

As much as she tried to control it, Gabrielle could no longer stop her tears or her mouth. She told Angelina everything. How Anders and Fenris were both ignoring her, how bad she felt about herself, how lonely she felt, every single hurt that she had been holding in for so long. Angelina listened, without interruption, until there was nothing left but choking, heartbroken, blubbering tears. She wrapped her arms around her cousin and softly cooed in her ear as a mother would do for an upset child.

After several minutes, Gabrielle pulled away and swiped at her eyes with her fingertips. "I'm sorry" she whispered hoarsely. "I didn't mean to lay all that on you."

Angelina frowned sadly. "Have you tried talking to either one of them? Have you told them how you feel about all of this?"

The former champion shook her head. "No…I…I wasn't sure what to say. I guess I didn't want to seem selfish."

Angelina smoothed the other woman's hair back. "Sweetie, it's not selfish to ask for your man's attention. Maybe they think you're happy with the way things are. How would they know any better if you don't tell them?" The former Warden paused for several moments as she thought. "Do you know what you need? You need a few days to yourselves. No kids, no visitors, just the three of you."

Gabrielle's brow furrowed. "And where are the children supposed to go? It's not as if I can send them to visit their grandmother."

Her cousin shrugged. "Alistair and I will take them. We were planning on taking a trip to Redcliffe to see Duncan anyway. We could just take the twins with us. It will certainly keep Lily entertained."

Gabrielle hesitated. "I don't know, Angie. Redcliffe is a good distance from here and I'm not sure Fenris and Anders will agree to that."

The former Warden waved away her concerns. "Don't worry about them. I'll just get Alistair to goad them into it. You need this Gabs, you know you do."

Gabrielle nodded her head reluctantly as she felt a knot begin to twist in the pit of her stomach. What if it didn't work? What if it had the opposite effect of what she was hoping for? What if she found that both men were still there simply for the sake of the children? She wasn't sure she could do this. Gabrielle's self-esteem had withered to less than nothing in the past few years and if her worst fears were confirmed by the two men she loved, it would shatter her completely.

Bright and early the next morning, instead of heading off to work as usual, both Anders and Fenris accompanied Gabrielle to the bottom of the mountain trail to say goodbye to Destiny and Cullen. Both men fawned over the children, telling them how much they would be missed while Gabrielle watched in the background. Before the carriage rolled away, she gave one more quick hug to the twins and then her cousin.

"Good luck" Angelina whispered into her ear. "We'll see you in a week."

Gabrielle let go, nodded and stepped back before watching the carriage disappear around the corner. When she turned to accompany Anders and Fenris back to the village, she discovered that they were already gone. She made the lonely trek up the hill alone and when she got back to their home, the two men weren't there.

_Must have gone straight to work,_ she thought as she began cleaning the house. Without the children there to distract her, she found the task much easier than usual and she finished in record time. After that was done, Gabrielle took a long soak in the tub which she filled with bath salts and perfumes she hadn't used in ages. Afterward, she pulled her long dark hair into an elegant twist allowing two big ringlets to brush against either side of her face. Then she carefully applied her makeup and went to her closet to find the perfect outfit. She scowled as she sifted through her clothes. After realizing she had nothing to wear that would turn a man's head, she quickly threw on a long shirt and a pair of trousers and headed into the village.

Luckily, one of the finest dressmakers in Thedas had a son born with the gift and had moved to Haven a few years before and opened a small shop in the square. Although the fare Selene sold was much simpler than the finery she had become accustomed to making, the dresses in her shop were still much nicer than anything Gabrielle owned.

"Hawke" the other woman cried with a thick Orlesian accent when the mage walked through the door. "I have not seen you in months. Are you here to buy a new dress for your daughter? I have one that I think would be perfect for her."

Gabrielle shook her head. "No, I…I'm actually here to find something for myself."

Selene's smile broadened. "So the Champion of Kirkwall wants to buy a dress? But this is marvelous."

The mage's face reddened with embarrassment. "I would like to have it for tonight" she informed the dressmaker timidly. "Do you think you have anything that might fit me?"

"But of course, my dear" the shopkeeper assured her. "In fact, I have something that would be perfect for your eye color." She quickly scurried to the back of the shop and returned a few minutes later. "I take it by the way you are wearing your hair that this is a special occasion."

Gabrielle shrugged. "You could say that, I suppose."

Selene draped a long blue-green dress made from satin across the counter and grinned. "Then this, my dear, is the dress for you."

The mage held it in front of her for a moment before the shopkeeper ushered her into a backroom to try it on. It had no sleeves, but thick shoulder straps. The neckline was cut way lower than what Gabrielle was used to and the bottom had mid-thigh slits up both sides. It was also much tighter than what she was accustomed to, making her feel self-conscious about the way it clung to her.

"I don't know, Selene" she frowned as she stepped back into the main room of the shop. "I'm not sure I'm built to pull something like this off anymore."

The dressmaker waggled her head. "Of course you are, my dear. This dress was made for your body. Don't you know? Men love curves and you have excellent ones, if only you would quit hiding them under all of these boy clothes that you wear all of the time."

Even though Gabrielle was still unsure of the dress, she allowed Selene to convince her to purchase it and a matching pair of low-heeled shoes for five hundred silver. She then hurried home to prepare dinner. She was sure that both of the men wouldn't be home that evening, but convinced that at least one would show up. When supper was almost complete, Gabrielle hurriedly set the table with a white linen cloth, chilled wine, three glasses and place settings (just in case) and two candles set in silver candlesticks. She then dashed into her room and slipped on the dress and shoes before touching up her hair and make-up and dabbing on a bit of her favorite perfume.

By the time she finished getting herself prepared, dinner was ready and she filled three plates, again just in case, before lighting the candles and pouring three glasses of wine. She found herself panting by the time she sat down and wasn't sure if it was because of all of the rushing around or the excitement of the evening's prospects.

Gabrielle sipped her wine and took a glance at the clock on the mantle. It was only ten minutes before six and Anders was usually home by that time. Fenris was nearly always home at six o'clock on the dot and the twins would check the time often so they could greet him at the door when he got home. Gabrielle drained her glass. Anders must have decided to stay at the clinic, but she still had hope that Fenris would be there soon.

Another glass of wine later she realized that it was ten after the hour. _Perhaps he is just late,_ she thought. By the time Gabrielle finished the first bottle and had started on the second, the candles had burned down to nearly nothing and it was almost eight o'clock. She sighed when she finally let herself come to the realization that neither of them were coming home for the night. As she lost all pretense and put the mouth of the wine bottle to her lips, quiet tears began to stain her cheeks. Without the twins there, what did Anders and Fenris have to come home to? She wondered if either of them would even notice if she just picked up and left. Probably only when the children mentioned something about it. They were going to be gone for an entire week. Maybe she should just leave and join them in Redcliffe. Neither of the men in her life would care anyway. They probably wished she would have gone.

She blew out what was left of the candles and carried her bottle to the bedroom. She quickly changed out of her new dress into one of Anders' long linen shirts and breathed in his scent. After sitting on the side of the bed for several minutes to down the second bottle of Aggregio, which reminded Gabrielle of the first night Fenris told her he loved her, she curled up into a ball and cried herself to sleep.

The next morning, Gabrielle awoke and moved her leg over to find that she was alone, just as she expected. She had made a decision the previous evening as bitter, lonely tears poured from her eyes that she was going to leave. Her plan was to join her cousin in Redcliffe and from there she would decide whether or not she would return to Haven. Fenris and Anders were both wonderful fathers, but Gabrielle couldn't see living the remainder of her life in the misery she had been feeling.

She thought about getting out of bed, but she didn't see any reason to do so, so instead she rolled over onto her other side. There, on the pillow next to hers, she found a folded up note. As she read the haphazard scrawl, she bit her lip to keep from crying again.

_Gabby,_

_I wanted to be here when you woke this morning, but there was an emergency at the clinic that needed my attention. I will return as soon as I can. I think we need to talk._

_Anders_

_This is it,_ she thought sadly. He wants to tell me that it's over. It wasn't like she hadn't been expecting it, but it still hurt like hell. Did she really expect both men to go the rest of their lives sharing her? What in the Maker's name ever convinced her that this daffy plan was going to work in the first place? Maybe if she hadn't let herself go, maybe if she was still the young, confident Champion she used to be, Fenris and Anders would still be in love with her, or at least one of them would be. How was she going to start over at her age, with two mage children?

Gabrielle remained in bed for quite a while longer before dragging herself from under the covers and making her way to the kitchen. She glanced in the mirror on the way out of the bedroom and chuckled bitterly at the streaks of black that ran from her tired eyes down her cheeks. When she walked out of the room, she discovered that the table which she left a mess the previous evening had been cleared and scrubbed and all of the dishes were washed and put away.

Anders must have cleaned up when he got home, probably to soften the impending blow. Gabrielle grabbed a bottle of whiskey from the back of the larder and removed the stopper. She had never been much of a drinker, but without the children there, she figured why not. It wasn't as if she had anything better to do. She took a long swig and shivered with a scowl. It tasted terrible and she thought she might gag, but instead took another drink.

"A little early for the hard stuff, isn't it?" she heard a deep sensuous voice say behind her.

She shrugged, keeping her back to him. "Not really."

"Do you do this often?" he questioned.

Gabrielle felt an indignant rage building inside her. She wanted to scream at him. She wanted to beat him black and blue until he felt as bad as she did. Instead she let out a long sigh. "No" she answered quietly, before adding under her breath, "but you would know that if you were ever home."

"What was that?" Fenris asked.

She shook her head. "Nothing" she lied.

"Aren't you even going to turn around and talk to me?"

"Do you want me to?"

"Bah!"He huffed. "It is impossible to talk to you when you are like this."

A few moments later, Gabrielle heard the door slam and she fell to her knees in tears. After several minutes of sobbing, she made her way to the sofa where she finished off the bottle of amber liquid and passed out shortly afterward. When she awoke, she found herself lying in her bed with a fresh coverlet over her. Her head was pounding and spinning at the same time as she blinked her eyes and peered out the window. It was dark and she had no idea how long she had been unconscious.

The cool water in the basin felt good against Gabrielle's skin as she splashed it on her face. When she went to put on a clean shirt, she realized that she was already wearing one. She thought it odd, but assumed she must have woken from her stupor, changed and crawled into bed at some point and then forgot. When she walked into the kitchen, she saw Anders sitting at the table, and her first inclination was to turn around and go back to bed. The last thing she wanted at that moment was to face what he was going to say to her with the mother of all hangovers.

Anders turned his head in her direction and a sad smile appeared on his face. "How are you feeling?"

"I've been better" she replied.

He stood and walked over to her before placing his fingertips on her temples. His amber eyes stared into her blue-green ones as she felt his magic flow into her brain. The pain in her head began to subside almost immediately, but the aching in Gabrielle's heart threatened to overtake her.

"Better?" the healer asked as he put his hands back to his sides. She could only nod in reply, not trusting herself to speak. "I've made you some soup, if you feel up to eating anything."

The dark-haired mage swallowed hard before managing an almost inaudible "thank you". Anders ushered her to a chair that he pulled out for her before dishing out a steaming bowl of chicken soup. Gabrielle couldn't help but smile, remembering all of the times he had cooked for her when they lived together in Kirkwall. It seemed like a lifetime ago. She leaned over the bowl and blew at the spoon before sticking it into her mouth. It came as no surprise that it tasted good. Anders was always an excellent cook. She ate in silence, feeling her lover watching her every move.

Once she was finished, Gabrielle pushed her bowl away and sighed. Her stomach was lurching and it was all she could do to keep down the meal she had just finished consuming. She finally dared a look at Anders and braced herself for the shattering of her heart.

"Your note said that you wanted to talk to me about something?" she asked with a whisper.

He placed his hand atop hers and looked deeply into her eyes. She held her breath, simultaneously trying to hold back her tears. "I'm sorry, Gabby" he said quietly.

Gabrielle swallowed before peering down at his hand. A pained expression took over her face as she choked back a sob. "Why are you sorry, Anders? You can't help it if you don't love me anymore. I suppose I can't blame you. You must find me completely hideous now."

She made herself look at his face and what she saw came as a complete surprise. Confusion and bewilderment were creased along his brow and in his light brown eyes. He quickly stood and pulled her up with him before placing his hands on her cheeks and pulling her in close. His forehead pressed into hers and she could feel his hot breath panting against her face. "Gabrielle…no…how could you ever think?" He stopped and stared into her eyes before kissing her lips tenderly. "I could never…not in a million lifetimes…I can never stop loving you. You are my heart, my soul."

Salty droplets began to stream down her cheeks. "Then why? Why have you been ignoring me? I've been feeling like I no longer even exist in your world. We don't spend any time together. We barely even speak to each other anymore."

Anders pulled her into a tight embrace. "Oh, my love…I thought you were angry with me. I have been working so much lately that I thought you had decided not to speak to me…to punish me. I know how you get when you're angry so I thought it was best if I just stayed out of your way until you were ready to talk about it. I had no idea that you would ever think that I didn't love you anymore. Staying away from you has been killing me."

She looked up at him with tear-filled blue-green eyes. "Really?"

"Really" he assured her. "You can't imagine how badly I've wanted to make love to you and just hold you over the past few months. When I got home last night, I found the table all set and I saw a new dress on the bedroom floor. I was all set to apologize to you then, to set everything right, but you were sleeping so peacefully that I didn't have the heart to wake you up."

At that moment, Gabrielle heard the front door creak open and turned her head to see Fenris standing in the entryway. "What's going on?" he asked. "Are you crying, Gabrielle?"

She wiped her eyes as she pulled away from Anders' embrace. "I'm fine, Fenris."

He rounded on the healer. "You made her cry? What in the Maker's name did you do? And I thought we agreed to speak to her together?"

Gabrielle was confused. "What do you mean?"

Anders sighed dejectedly. "There is something else."

The dark-haired mage arched a brow. "What?"

"Fenris and I talked about it and we decided that this…arrangement isn't really working for us."

The knot in Gabrielle's stomach came back with a vengeance, bigger and worse than before. The thought of losing either of them was enough to send her reeling. "What do you mean?" She turned to the elf with a panicked expression. "Fenris?"

Fenris stole a glance at Anders before approaching her and taking her delicate hand into his. He softly touched her cheek with his lips and smiled. Without a word, he led her toward the downstairs bedroom with Anders following closely behind.

"What's this about?" she asked them.

In answer to her question, Fenris covered her mouth with his and began kissing her deeply and passionately. She felt Anders' body press into her back as he pulled her hair to one side and began sucking softly at the side of her neck. Gabrielle's body shivered from the feel of both men's hands and mouths on her.

Fenris nipped at her earlobe. "We thought that we would celebrate your birthday a bit early this year" he whispered in a husky voice. She then felt Anders lips on her cheek, making their way to her mouth. He cupped her chin and turned her head toward him before kissing her. Fenris began working on removing her smallclothes while Anders pulled her shirt over her head and removed her breast band. Fenris kissed his way up her leg to her inner thigh. When his tongue lapped across her nub, Gabrielle's knees buckled and she nearly lost her balance. He quickly wrapped his arms around her thighs and buttocks to hold her there as his mouth covered her. She moaned into Anders' mouth as the healer continued kissing her and massaging her breasts. He kissed his way down her neck and just as his tongue began working on her right nipple, she felt two of Fenris's fingers slide into her.

Gabrielle threw her head back and cried out with pleasure as her body rocked through its first orgasm. When her shuddering finally died down, Fenris backed away and Anders picked her up to deposit her gently onto the bed. His hand slid down her body until his fingers reached her tender nub which he began to rub gently with three fingers. Her breathing became heavy again as the healer once again began kissing her breasts. She felt Fenris's hands spread her thighs apart and opened her eyes to see him naked and ready to enter her. He smiled, his deep green eyes filled with lust as he buried himself into her core. Anders moved his mouth to hers, but continued to massage her most sensitive spot as Fenris pumped in a steady rhythm. Gabrielle's hips bucked wildly as she grabbed a handful of Anders' hair and pressed her lips hard against his. Their tongues danced together as she exploded around Fenris and then once again just moments later when she felt the elf release inside of her.

Anders kissed Gabrielle's forehead and smiled. "My turn" he whispered.

The two men changed places and Fenris laid down next to her. He kissed her softly as he moved his hand between her soaked thighs. He slid his fingers inside her long enough to get them good and wet and then moved them to her nub just as she felt Anders enter her. As usual, he moved more slowly than Fenris, savoring every inch of her core. The small electric shocks that were running through her body as their magics melded together were enough to drive Gabrielle over the edge again within minutes after Anders began. As she came, she clawed at Fenris's bare back with one hand and Anders' with the other. The blonde mage continued moving in and out of her slowly as Fenris moved his hand to his own erection and began pleasuring himself. He moved to his knees and bent over her body to give his attention to her breasts. He suckled and caressed them softly, one and then the other, and Gabrielle mewled at the feeling.

Gabrielle heard Anders' breathing becoming more and more erratic as he increased the pace of his pumping and she knew that he would find his release soon. She grabbed Fenris by the hair and pulled his mouth up to hers while Anders moved his lips to her neck. He bit her earlobe and hoarsely whispered, "Oh…Maker, I'm…gonna…" He slammed into her as deeply as he could and just as she felt his seed flow into her. Fenris moaned and kissed her passionately as he found his own release. The thought of both men coming at the same time, drove Gabrielle to the edge once again and her body began rocking once more. A wild desperate expression mired her face as she stared into Fenris's eyes. "I love you, Fenris" she cried before turning to Anders and kissing him soundly. "I love you Anders. I love you both so much." Each man answered in kind before they all collapsed into a heap of flesh and sweat.

The three of them remained quiet for a time, Anders pressed against Gabrielle's back and Fenris against her front. Finally, Anders propped himself up on his elbow and smiled down at her. "By the way, the next time you get the idea that I don't love you, Gabrielle Hawke, just go ahead and tell me so I can give you a proper spanking. You should know better than that by now."

Fenris scowled. "Is that what all of this brooding you have been doing has been about? Because you thought Anders no longer loved you?"

She shrugged. "I thought the same about you."

The elf looked angry. "You cannot be serious."

Gabrielle felt a tear threaten to fall as Fenris turned her face toward his. "I have devoted my life to you and this family, Gabrielle. I am yours and I always will be. Never doubt that. Not for a moment. I may not say it often, but I do love you mal cornum. I apologize if I have not been as attentive as I should be lately, but if you ever feel that way again…all you have to do is tell me and I will correct the issue."

The dark-haired mage felt utterly ridiculous for ever thinking that either man had fallen out of love with her. A thought suddenly crossed her mind and she rolled onto her back. "So, then what was all that about earlier? About how this arrangement isn't working anymore?"

Anders moved his index finger down her bare arm. "Well, the argument between Fenris and myself in this arrangement has always come down to the sleeping arrangements. If I have to work late, then I miss my night with you and you end up sleeping alone and then if Fenris misses his night, the same thing happens."

"We have been discussing this problem quite a bit lately" Fenris interjected, "and yesterday, we finally came up with a solution while we were on our way back to the village."

"It would have to meet with your approval first of course" added the healer.

"And what might that be?" asked Gabrielle.

Anders gave her a quick peck on the lips. "This. We simply share the same bed."

The dark-haired mage appeared apprehensive. "When this all began, you told me that you would never share a bed with Fenris and me, Anders."

He shrugged. "That was eight years ago Gabby. Things change. Besides, there will be a lot of nights that one or the other of us won't be here."

Gabrielle bit her lip. "So does that mean that there won't be any more nights like tonight?"

Fenris chuckled before smirking at the healer. "Oh, I think it is safe to say that there definitely will be, don't you agree, Anders?"

Anders nodded. "Definitely."


End file.
